Sleep Trouble
by Pricat
Summary: When Charming gets into his head, he turns Shrek's dreams into awful nightmares. It's up to Fiona, Artie and Merlin to stop him before it's too late
1. Can't Sleep

Sleep Trouble 

It was late at night at the swamp but Shrek couldn't sleep. Fiona and the triplets were asleep. Memories were flooding through his mind as he willed his eyes to close. They then closed as he entered the realm of dreams.

He found himself in the theatre where Charming had tried to slay him. He heard Fiona crying and wondered what was wrong. He saw sadness on Artie's face. "What's wrong guys? Can't you see me?" he said. Suddenly everything went black. He then saw that a body lying in an open grave. "Please don't let it be what I think." He said under his breath.

_But his skin turned cold when he saw it was his body in the grave. He then heard Charming laugh as he found himself falling into darkness._ He woke up in a cold sweat. It was dawn but Fiona had gone to help the babies. "It was just a dream, a bad dream." He said wearily as he got out of bed. Fiona wondered what was wrong with him. "Are you okay? You look worried about something." she asked him as she fed the babies. He brewed himself a cup of coffee and walked past her. He felt embarrassed about telling her about his nightmare. Puss then saw him walk off. "Hey senor where's the fire?" he asked him worried. "I'm going to see Artie, okay?" Shrek said to him.

Artie was surprised to see his ogre friend arrive at the castle. "What're you doing here? Is something wrong?" he asked him. "I needed to talk to you. I had a weird dream about... when Charming tried to get rid of me and in the dream, you and Fiona were really sad. I couldn't tell Fiona in case she'd freak out." he explained to him. Artie understood but was worried for him. Charming was inside his enemiy's mind waiting for him to sleep so he could turn his dreams into nightmares forever. Merlin then appeared. "I sense something wrong with him but to see what, I need him to fall asleep." he told Artie. Shrek was worried at this. He was worried about going to sleep in case another nightmare happened. "Don't worry man. I'm right behind you." Artie told him. Shrek then lay on the couch and relaxed...

Fiona was worried. Her husband hadn't been home for a while. But she then saw Artie walk into the living room. "What's wrong? Is Shrek okay?" Fiona asked him nervously as she followed him. When they got to the throne room, she found her husband moaning and woke up. She saw fear in his brown eyes. "Are you okay honey? You don't look so good." she asked but he didn't answer. Artie was worried. Whatever dream his friend had, it must've been really bad that he couldn't answer... "Maybe we should calm him down. Then we can get him to talk." Merlin told them...


	2. Afraid

Sleep Trouble 

Ch 2

Artie watched as his ogre friend closed his eyes. He watched as Merlin closed his eyes to see into the dream. Fiona was worried about this.

Shrek found himself standing on a high ledge near a 10000 foot water fall. He heard somebody cackle as Fiona struggled. It was Farquaad's ghost. He watched as he pushed her off.

"_Fiona no!" Shrek yelled as he tried whistling for Dragon but she didn't come. He closed his eyes as he heard his one True Love hit the rocks. He then went down there to find Fiona lying there out cold. Tears fell from his eyes and hit her body. He then saw somebody approach him. It was Charming. "What do you want? Are you happy you're driving me crazy?" he growled angrily. "You'll see. You're going down." He cackled._

Fiona got freaked when her husband didn't wake up. Merlin looked grim. "Somebody just appeared and trapped him." He said to them. "Isn't there a way to help him?" she asked him. "Yes but it would mean going in his head." He answered her. "But who'd be brave enough to go into my husband's head?" Fiona asked quietly. Aerie then got an idea but it was a little crazy. "I will!" he said to her. Merlin looked shocked. "Sire I'm sure it's not a good idea. You could get trapped in there." he told him. "I know it's dangerous but it's worth it for my best friend. He risked his life to save me when Charming was about to behead me so I must do the same, no matter what the cost. Fiona I don't mind." Artie replied to them. Merlin then recited a spell. Magic surrounded Artie and he vanished. He then found himself in his friend's mind. It was a large forest but dark and full of gnarly trees. "Shrek you here dude?" he yelled. He then heard somebody crying and followed it to a cage. He looked inside. His best friend was in there beaten up and bruised. Artie was shocked by this as well as hearing him cry. In the throne room, Fiona saw bruises appear all over her husband's body.

"What do you think is going on in there?" she asked Merlin. He seemed worried. Artie wondered what had happened to Shrek he was beaten up and sad like this. "How did you get like this? I... want to help." he told him. "Artie get out of here. Y...You can't help me Artie. You'd better get out of here before Charming hurts you too." Shrek said to him. This really worried Artie. His friend had lost the spark that had made him special. He then got an idea. "We can stop him abs you can sleep again. Sll you have to do is make Charming afraid that he leaves. Don't you remember when you helped me find my courage? I wanna help you get yours back." he said to him. But as they left the cage, they felt the ground shake as another ogre appeared. Artie saw Shrek's palms get sweaty and his breathing got heavy. The other one looked like an older version of him. "Who is that?" Artie asked him worried. "He's my father, the very man who hates my guts. He's the reason I left home at sixteen and built my own swamp house." Shrek answered. Artie watched as the guy bit his friend in the face. The bite was infected. This made him angry, angrier than when Lancelot and the jousting team used to pick on him. "Leave him alonw! He's right! You're worse than mud." he yelled as a sword appeared. It was Excalibur, the sword he would wield when he was older. Shrek then yelled as his Dad threw him into the air but a blast of magic from the sword destroyed his friend's father. "Thanks Artie. I'm scared, okay? Seeing him brought back painful memories." Shrek said as he rested on the ground and closed his eyes.

In the throne room Fiona saw her True Love open his eyes and hugged him gently. "What happened to you?" she asked him quietly. "I don't wanna talk about it." he answered her softly. Merlin then realised Artie wasn't here. "He's okay. He rescued me from something terrible. I hope he comes back but for now you and me will have to be King and Queen until Artie gets back." Shrek said. They then saw somebody enter the room. It was Katya. She was theie friend, Artie's wife and Queen. "He's in your head, isn't he? Can he get back out?" she asked worriedly. But they then saw Artie appear. "Hey honey. I'm glad you're safe. Maybe we should help Fiona and her husband. He's badly hurt mentally and body wise. With the lack of sleep he's had, he might snap." she told him as they hugged. He understood but was worried for Shrek. He'd never seen him this afraid to be himself. "Maybe I should talk to him." Artie thought as he fell asleep that night in bed by his wife's side. Fiona had fallen asleep but Shrek was still awake with many cups of coffee surrounded him and cans of soda.

Charming laughed as he saw this. He then created a nightmare that would hurt Shrek more than weapons could. He then sent it into the night...


End file.
